Astigmatism

Question

My son has been diagnosed with astigmatism.

His eyes were found to be oval shaped rather than round from about six weeks of age.

Two months ago, at the age of three, he was prescribed glasses, which he is very reluctant to wear. Neither I nor my husband have noticed anything obviously wrong with his vision – he sees things both near and far.

What visual impairment should we be noticing, and would a high street optician be able to give a second opinion? What problems would occur if he didn't wear the glasses?

Answer

Astigmatism is a condition in which the cornea, or front surface, of the eye is asymmetrically curved, causing distorted vision.

The cause is unknown but it's usually present from birth. Most people have a minor degree of astigmatism and it doesn't have a significant effect on their vision, but if the problem is more marked it will make both near and far away objects look blurry.

Correction is then beneficial because it allows the person to see images in sharp focus.

You say that neither you nor your husband has noticed anything wrong with your son's vision. That's not unusual because children often accept poor vision without saying anything.

If your son hates wearing his glasses at the moment I can understand why you're questioning whether it's really necessary for him to wear them.

You don't mention who diagnosed your son's astigmatism and prescribed the glasses for him, but if you want a second opinion I'm sure a High Street optician would be happy to carry out the necessary vision tests.

If it's confirmed that your son does need glasses to help him see clearly, don't despair! The vast majority of children who need to wear glasses do get used to them in time.

It might help if you praise your son every time he wears the glasses without making a fuss.

You could devise a gold star chart and give him a star if he wears his glasses for a certain length of time each day. Perhaps if he gets more than four or five gold stars in a week you could promise him a small reward to encourage him even more!

Best of luck - I hope you succeed.

Yours sincerely

The Medical Team

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